He will keep nation apprised

In expressing this confidence, the Women’s League offered their prayers for Rowley (who is also PNM political leader) and condemned commentators who are attempting to politicise his health., “ In a statement, PNM Women’s League Public Relations Officer, Sharon Felix, said, “The Prime Minister has already taken the nation into his confidence on his medical tests and one can be sure he will keep the nation apprised as needed.” Rowley checked into a clinic in California yesterday to undergo examinations.

Government officials yesterday said they received no word from the Prime Minister regarding his medical check-ups. They said because Rowley is on vacation and not on official government business, there are no government communications personnel with him.

The officials added that any information regarding the Prime Minister’s medical examinations would have to be authorised by Rowley himself.

Rowley has said he did his examinations locally, those results were sent to his doctors abroad and both sets of doctors agreed, further tests should be done. He said these examinations should take a week and he plans to return home on August 15. Rowley said his health remains a private matter, although he is a public figure. At a meeting of the Women’s League at Port-of-Spain City Hall last month, Rowley first announced that he would be leaving the country on August 4 to undergo some medical checks and take some vacation leave.

Declaring that Rowley and the rest of the Government, “remains in our prayers as they go about the demanding job of saving this nation, Felix said, “To attempt to delve into the Prime Minister’s health after earlier accusing him of feigning illness to go on a joy-ride, is unseemly and unbecoming of any political commentator.” She said the Women’s League is also concerned that some commentators have attempted to destroy the records of previous prime ministers.

Felix said it is a fact that former prime minister Patrick Manning advised the country in December 2008 of his surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous kidney, before the procedure was done and not after, as some persons claim.

She claimed Rowley’s detractors have not accepted he was elected Prime Minister last September and have used this latest development to perpetuate the latest version of the ‘No Rowley’ campaign.

The former People’s Partnership (PP) government unsuccessfully used this campaign as part of its strategy to win last year’s general election.

“They were, at first, castigating Dr Rowley for using illness as an elaborate ruse to go on his contractually due vacation and have now gone on to insinuate that the Prime Minister is hiding his true illness and needs to be more forthright with the public.

They cannot have it both ways,” Felix said